Innovation and R&D have always been the essential foundations of a strong, sustainable defence industry. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper, Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and Defence Integrated Investment Program (DIIP) acknowledge the importance of successful Defence R&D and innovation to the nation’s defence industry and thus to Australian defence policy. The 2020 Defence Force Structure Plan reinforced these foundations.
EX2 was set up by Dr Gregor Ferguson, a defence industry and innovation analyst and consultant, to make a useful contribution in Australia’s new and welcoming defence business environment.
EX2 helps innovators in Defence, the research sector and industry, and especially SMEs, by providing news and insight about innovation in Defence and adjacent sectors such as space, aerospace and resources.
Gregor Ferguson writes, teaches, advises and runs a national program designed to encourage and reward innovators in the defence, aerospace and maritime domains in both industry and the research and academic communities.
View his bio here (PDF opens in new window).
Dr Gregor Ferguson, Ph.D, BA (Hons), MRAeS
Haifa-based Elbit Systems has been awarded a US$600 million ($917 million) contract from Hanwha Defense Australia to supply self-protection systems for the Australian Army’s Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). Hanwha Defense Australia was awarded the $7 billion contract to provide…
The Sydney-based University of New South Wales (UNSW) has opened its Nuclear Innovation Centre (UNIC) to advance Australia’s nuclear science industry. The Centre is underpinned by a $7.5 million donation from the Sir William Tyree Foundation, which will fund a…
The 2024 edition of ADSTAR, the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit, will be held at the National Convention Centre in Canberra on 17-19 Seotember. ADSTAR 24 builds on the success of the inaugural ADSTAR which was held in…
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) will invest £4.5 billion ($8.67 billion) over the next decade in uncrewed systems for all three services under the UK Defence Drone Strategy which was launched on 22 February. The UK Defence…
Canberra-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) company Trellis Data is expanding into Adelaide, South Australia. This expansion follows the company's recent opening of an office in Washington DC and marks a significant milestone in its strategy to deliver…
Defence’s announcement that it would acquire six Large Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels (LOSV) took many observers, including this one, by surprise. Digging into the program, however, this is a more logical move than it may at first seem. First of…
The announcement that the RAN’s fleet of surface combatants would more than double is welcome; even more so is the news that the Australian defence budget will be increased to pay for them. It is gratifying that EX2 managed to…
The UK and Latvia will jointly lead a capability coalition, which will see thousands of drones supplied to Ukraine, including first-person view (FPV) drones, which have proven highly effective on the battlefield. As part of the coalition, the UK will…
The Royal Australian Navy will more than double the size of its surface combatant feet under plans released by the Australian government. The expanded fleet of more than 26 ships will also be more lethal than the RAN’s current fleet…
The Australian Government’s blueprint for the RAN’s expanded, more lethal surface combatant fleet is intended to support a sovereign continuous naval shipbuilding program and deliver direct investment in a capable, resilient and competitive defence industrial base, Defence says. An updated…
